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As a student at the University of San Diego, I have been learning
about the fundamentals of business in class. While useful, it
wasn't until I started going door-to-door selling mobile apps for
my real estate tech startup Rivolix that I learned the real meaning of
the word entrepreneurship. Synonyms for the word should be
schlep, bottom feeder and hustler, because that is exactly
what you are until you make it.

Yet, going around hawking my goods helped me gain valuable
experience. I was able to gain a deep understanding of the
problems my customers were facing, which led me to create mobile
solutions that better addressed their needs. This insight can't
be gained in school or through a business plan: The validity of
your idea lies in the execution.

Think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Here are
three tips on getting started:

1. Get out there and sell
door-to-door. Yes, I did just use the word
door-to-door. While people are able to hide behind their computer
screen and emails, meeting face-to-face with potential customers
can help make you a stronger businessperson. It separates the
haves and have nots, because when you get down to it, going
door-to-door is an awful experience.

People don’t want to talk to you, and sometimes, they can be
rude. Yet, if you persevere and don’t get discouraged, you will
quickly learn what customers want.

Plus, going door-to-door also teaches you to be creative in
gaining people’s attention. Call it bootcamp for your elevator
pitch, because if you can get a customer to buy off a walk-in
there is a good chance your product is fulfilling an unmet and
in-demand need.

2. Start hustling. Entrepreneurship is a
hustle, especially for those starting out. You are broke, you
have done nothing and people don't take you seriously. You kind
of have to hustle in order to survive and succeed.

It also teaches you how to leave your ego at the door. People
will be turned off from buying your products if you have a
massive ego on all the time. There is a time and a place for
that, but when meeting with potential customers be humble and
work hard. People will respond positively to it.

What has helped me succeed in the hustle is creating a story
around my business. People are more receptive to storytelling and
engagement than a boring product brochure.

3. Do not rely on one stream of
income. While you may want to dive into your new
venture and go full force, I don't recommend it. Relying solely
on income from your startup, can cause your company to die before
it even gets off the ground. When you first launch, you are
making almost no money and the little amount of revenue you are
generating should be invested back into the startup, not put in
your pocket.

Also, if you think an investor is going to save you, think again.
Most startups are bootstrapped, and you will go crazy spending
all your time looking for these magical investors.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, I believe you need about five
different ways of making money. Sounds crazy but going down this
route can help you hedge the risk of going completely broke. If
one of the ventures takes off, even better.

Plus, it allows you to focus your attention on your passions
rather than a boring day job. Developing a diverse skillset makes
you that much more valuable to your company. For example, I was
forced to learn Photoshop to save my startup money, and now that
skillset is invaluable.

Another perk of not relying on one income channel is your network
connections are much broader. You get to meet people of different
backgrounds, which in the end, it all comes down to who you know
anyway.

What other tips do you have for starting
up? Let us know in the comments below.

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